Can I Bring Sausage to US? (Just One of FAQ on the American Embassy Website in Belarus)

One of the unexpected side affects of the Trump presidency has been the thawing out of the relationship between Belarus and the United States. Before I go any further, let me be clear that this is NOT a political statement, so please don’t take it as such. But apparently, the president of Belarus likes Trump, so this has helped to create a more civil dialogue (for now).

For many years the Embassy of USA in Belarus would not process visas, which has had an adverse effect on my parents’ visits here. They had to shlep all the way to Poland, which was time-consuming, not to mention, expensive. There is now a loophole that allows them to renew visas through a tourist agency, but it has a lot of restrictions.

Anyway, I’ve noticed  that USA Embassy in Belarus has recently started to process visas for folks over 50, and my parents obviously fall in the category. I’m really hoping they will eventually lift age restrictions altogether so I can bring my sister and nephews here. Overall, this is wonderful news for my family and will make planning family visits ten times easier.

I’ve noticed something in FAQ section of the website, and wanted to share it with you:

Salo is basically pig fat that doesn’t have to be refrigerated:

Who in their right mind would drag this abomination across the Atlantic, you may ask? Lots of Belarus people would! My mom, for one. When my husband and I were married for about a year, we flew her to US for a visit. One of the things she brought in her suitcase was a huge slab of “salo.” I mean, that thing was ginormous. I used to eat salo as a kid, but I always found it a bit disgusting. These days it would take an apocalypse for me to touch it.

Anyway, my mother-in-law was there when my mom was unpacking and saw salo. After she left, my mom said we needed to cut a piece and give it to my husband’s parents. She said she noticed my MIL staring at it like she wanted it. I assured her that she did NOT want it.  My in-laws are more “hamburger and hot dogs” type people (which, incidentally, I also find disgusting).

But nope! We had to drag salo and present it to my in-laws anyway. They graciously accepted the gift and proceeded to throw it in the trash after we left. I don’t blame them.